Show Viewing Date: 6-24-2008
Show Title: 30 Days: Same-Sex Parenting
Network: FXHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com

Intro:

I can remember the first time I met a ***** peerson, a young man named Vince, when I was 19 in college. Vince was flamboyant, out, having a great time with his life and learning all he could about sign language in an effort to "understand them" - those mysterious, sometimes-outcasted members of society - those that use sign language ie Deaf & Hard of Hearing people. Something that I believe most people don't know anything about, is what is an inordinate amount of ***** males that are participating in society as sign language interpreters. That little nugget has provided me with a mountain of experience in regard to ***** and lesbian issues that I've really come to appreciate.  While the ratio of ***** male interpreters isn't the subject of this episode of this week's "30 Days", it is an important facet at the heart of what this episode is about - Same-Sex Parenting. This week, we experience a devout married, former-adoptee Morman mother, Katie, as she move in with Tom & Dennis, a ***** couple of who are the adoptive parents of 4 young boys.

Previews/Commercials Captioned: Eeek! What in the hell happened HERE? Call commercials for any show that will/is appearing on FX, AREN'T CAPTIONED? The Shielf, Rescue Me - all of them, their little snippets of information and commercials aren't captioned!? Say it ain't so! Let's get with the program, FX!

Opinion Review:

Solid kudos to the 30 Days staff for finding people who clearly are very strong in their beliefs, and - in most cases, people who are able to articulate their general viewpoint and what they think of the oppositions viewpoint. That is again the piece of recurring magic of this show and it's incredibly welcomed. While watching this episode, I made an extensive listing of notes that collected the general feelings of people on both sides that truly amazed me in many instances. Something I am always quick to bring up in discussions regardless of topic is the propensity of people to ***** and complain about _________, all along never offering up alternatives to find a middle ground or options to get the ball rolling and green-lit. While I too can ***** and debate with the best of them, what also follows is OPTIONS - potential fixes to situations that will hopefully get people satiated, the situation rectified and moving forward. That begs a question:

What if your beliefs and value standards don't allow for "options?" What if there "isn't another way to think?"

This is essentially what befalls our Mormon mother, who simply cannot/is unable to put aside her strident religious beliefs. Is this a bad thing? Having beliefs isn't evil, it isn't judgmental, it's having values, that she is clearly willing to defend, support and tell anyone that will listen to about. Her continual exclaimatins about "not being able to tell people my beliefs before" seem a bit incredulous to me. She is CLEARLY able to tell any and everyone what she's thinking at any time, and when there's what is apparently a solid wall of alternate thinking in front of her, it's time to bail rather than to find a common ground. Again, is that wrong? Is standing ground and finding that hard-to-find even viewpoint of both sides always the "way to go? It's all in your own perspective and it's the dish de jour during this entire episode.

Katie's religion is something that comes up several times during the course of the episode and it's clear that while it is what is 'holding her up" it's also what is hanging out to dry a clear and viable option for a growing plethora of potential adoptable children in our communities. Something else that I've taken from "organized religion" is not only the dedication to a belief and value system, but the instant offense that occurs when trying to explain their opposition to a viewpoint. This is showcased clearly when Katie is "done" and walks away, heads for the hills in tears or bunkers herself inside the house that she is clearly tortured in for these 30 Days. At one point, when I thought there would be a revelation, indeed just as when there was a very large turnaround for the dedicated hunter from North Carolina in 30 Days' last episode about Animal Rights, Katie meets with two previously-never-adopted adults, who try to give Katie perspective by visiting their old stomping grounds. It's a very emotional moment, but still - the value systems stay "true" and she affirms that kids NEED a Daddy and a Mommy for the best recipe for a kids future.

So what IS the answer?  Thumbs up for Same-Sex Parenting or thumbs down on Kiddy has 2 Daddies?

Again, the magic of this show is that you end up asking the questions of yourself when you're done. Just a week ago, Gloria (my wife) and I were in Walmart, in line behind a 30-something overweight, too-much-make-uped mother of two - 6 and 7 perhaps. Remember, this is at 1:30am on a Wednesday (granted, summer vacation, but wow) where both of the kids had a can of collector's cards, Mom had some clothes including a black and white two piece swim suit (shudder) and some other "need to get" items. Her bill comes out to 80-some dollars and Mommy-Largest tears into the lady ringing up her merchandise about how "that can't possibly be right."

Okay. And so rather than finding the problem, she berates the lady checking her out about how she can't do anything right, MFing this, What the Fing that, spouting about how her swimwear/eyepatch was only $18, the cards her sons bought were $4.95 each, and the "rest of the ***** couldn't possibly cost that Fing much."

"That ain't Fing right. I'm sorry, I'm real tired and not thinkin' straight." Huh? Of course you're not but what on Earth are you doing firing the arsenal of swear-wrods in front of your sons, at someone that Walmart in the middle of the night who's just trying to get you on your way? "Wait a Fing minute: How much were these cards? I thought you said they was "$4"?", clearly now turning her rage to her children who were looking forward to their midnite card bounty when they got home later this morning. "Are you Fing lyin' to me? Did you Fing lie about these MFing cards?" at which point I finally had my "what the hell are you saying to your kids" face on. She *****ed the tin cans out of the boys hands, muttered more obscenities, paid for her handkerchief/bikini et al and strode out pulling her children by their shirts.

My point of describing this to you, the readership, is to showcase this question: Would you rather have THIS gem of a "Mommy" dragging the kids out to Walmart and being the punching bag for her sickeningly inappropriate public, verbal assaults, or have the caring showcase of what was Tom & Dennis in this show be their "2 Daddies?" That's really the question in a nutshell, isn't it? What do we do to ensure the future "care" of our children, especially those who are in the unenviable position of not-yet-being adopted?

The episode ends, with Katie heading home, the 2 Daddies still caring for their kids, and both parties being willing to agree to disagree, but there's a lot of tension here - as there is and will always be with situations that have these subjects as their focal point.

All in all, I'd really like to contact several of the ***** male interpreter friends I have, who have been out for a good long time but are childless, and ask them THEIR viewpoint on the whole thing. Additionally I ask the readership - what are YOUR thoughts here? The opinions and stances are as varied as the people involved and I am eager to see comments on this entry.

Overall Caption Rating:: 5

Overall Show Rating: 5

Total Rating: 5

Do You Recommend This Show to Others Who Depend on Captioning? Yes

– Mike Wilkerson
Creator/Graphic Designer/Talk Show Host
- The 2GuysTalking Podcast
2GuysTalking Original Content Podcast Network
http://www.2guystalking.com
Mike@2guystalking.com – 314-229-7683

[Mike is a professional entertainment critic and talk show host for The 2GuysTalking Podcast Network, a multi-media podcasting company specializing in the broadcast of opinion, thought and ideas. Be sure to visit 2GuysTalking.Com for more information.]

Show Viewing Date: 6-23-2008
Show Title: 30 Days: Animal Rights
Network: FXHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com

Intro:

I can remember the first time I heard the words "Animal Rights." I was watching a news report on the evening news with my Dad and Bonus Mom in their home in the outskirts of Milwaukee Wisconsin, and on came one of the local news anchors talking about how someone had "thrown red paint on people wearing furs in Beverly Hills to protest how animals are treated." Having never "treated an animal badly" I had no idea really why they had a problem with the fur. The people that could afford the fur, bought it, because they could afford it, and that was pretty much the end of it. As time wore on, and I became more socially conscious as a teenageer, I began to understand their argument as the fires of "human rights" became the topic of one of the many papers I write in high school - but Animal Rights ? I just never got on board. Whether it was from the political leanings I experienced in my home or just the general nature of "a dog being something more than a pet" - an animal rights activist I was not.

This week on 30 Days, Morgan Spurlock once again steps aside as another human guinea pig is put in place and the show jumps even deeper into the hot end of the socially political pool by taking a blue collar life-long game hunter from the friendly confines of North Carolina and having him live for 30 long and arduous days - with an Animal Rights family.

Previews/Commercials Captioned: Yes

Opinion Review:

I have to tell you -straight up - I was ready to really hate this episode. Television's general habit with topics like this one is to show the completely extreme, the any, the stuff "that sells" and little else. Now after watching this episode, I'm so very happy I stuck with it, because not so strangely, "30 Days" brings together to polar opposites and provides viable, reasonable and understandable viewpoints for both sides.

There's the initial hate, the complete and utter "I don't know how these people live the way they do" - and then it happens - Ah ha! The crazy woman that wants you to "save a dog's life over a human life!" Sooooo, the zany rears it's head! Killing a mock Colonel Sanders in front of a KFC? Ok, but are we going to have the entire episode be like this? The answer is no, though the tendency to showcase the outrageous, the "memorable" the acts that "have impact" is still showcased - but let's face it - would they ever NOT show something like that? Probably not, but then the gloves of animal rights activism come off. We head for a cattle farm, where one of the cattle, a young and clearly dying male cow they've named "Sugar" becomes the surrogate son that the hardened hunter from the great wild of North Carolina takes under his proverbial chicken-suit wing and helps to nurse back to health.

Captioning in this episode is once again very solid, including the atmospheric sounds during all kinds of appropriate moments. From the crickets clicking during a middle-of-the-night rescue assault on an apparently-ethicless cattle farm, to the bleats of every animal imaginable, the captioning in this episodes allows you to collect data from all sorts of input - which provides Deaf and Hard of Hearing users with grea cues that make for an outstanding episode of 30 Days. It really does give you a great step up in perspective in regard to the lives of both the Animal Rights Activist, and those that might not yet be "on-board" yet.

My conclusion, just like the rest of the episodes of this show is simple: Total satisfaction. You get to taste both sides of the story, you get to see people make informed (and in some cases in this episode, not so informed) viewpoints, and then try to make the call that will help you on your new, socially-acceptable and LIVEABLE path as you continue your evening as a human being. I love that they take the time to showcase BOTH, VIABLE sides of the Animal Rights condition, and let you make your own call on just how fervent you want to be - regardless of which stance you choose to take. That's rare, folks. In an age with ridiculously slanted media (often times in both directions depending on which network you're watching, by the way), it is truly great to see a show like this in such a great slot in primetime. Kudos to Morgan and his staff again.

So whether you're ready to slit the gullet of the Colonel, prepared to push another pile of wings down your gullet, or somewhere in between, this episode of 30 Days provides you with some great perspective, education and viewpoint that you won't be sorry to have.

Do you have a viewpoint from either side? Let us know by using the contact form at 2GuysTalking.Com.

Special/Supplemental Features Captioned: Yes

Overall Caption Rating:: 5

Overall Show Rating: 5

Total Rating: 5

Do You Recommend This Show to Others Who Depend on Captioning? Yes

? Mike Wilkerson
Creator/Graphic Designer/Talk Show Host
- The 2GuysTalking Podcast
2GuysTalking Original Content Podcast Network
http://www.2guystalking.com
Mike@2guystalking.com ? 314-229-7683

[Mike is a professional entertainment critic and talk show host for The 2GuysTalking Podcast Network, a multi-media podcasting company specializing in the broadcast of opinion, thought and ideas. Be sure to visit 2GuysTalking.Com for more information.]

Show Viewing Date: 6-3-2008
Show Title: 30 Days: Workin' in a Coal Mine
Network: FXHD
Reviewed By: Mike Wilkerson - 2GuysTalking.Com

Intro:

I have never been a reality show person. The time it takes to follow, believe, and suspend disbelief that people would treat people like they do in reality programs is something I just can hardly stomach. While waiting for an episode of "The Shield" to start last season (I did a series of something called "Overcast Reviews" of several episodes of "The Shield" last season for Overcast Media - don't miss them) there was a show that caught my attention called "30 Days." During this show, you have a filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock (yes, the guy that made the "McDonalds Movie" which is an excellent showcase of what much of America is doing to itself when eating out 6 times a week), who subjects his life to a different career or situation for 30 days, and gives you the perspective he garners during that time. I instantly gravitated towards it because - well - in my life I've had the fortune to have participated in a variety of jobs as well. Not because I had my own custom television show, but because I was a professional sign language interpreter for so long. Name, the job, I've participated in it or had a part in it at one time or another. It was a great job, but like everything else, other opportunities come up and things change.

This show reminds me greatly of my life as an Interpreter - the difference? It lasts 42 minutes, during which I get to entertain myself, watch the captioning and tell all of you find people about it. Read on below for more details in regard to the Caption Hunt review of "30 Days: Workin' in a Coal Mine.:

Previews/Commercials Captioned: Yes

Opinion Review:

There are very few shows on television that I could possibly recommend not only to Deaf/Hard of Hearing viewers, but to anyone. The cavalcade of shows that are available on the perpetually-growing dial that just feel and are a waste of life experience continues to grow. This is not one of those shows, folks. You NEED to be watching this show. While I don't agree with some of the politics that Morgan tends to inject into projects, this program, this episode in particular, is something that not only helps youi appreciate the job and life that you currently have, but helps you find newfound respect for others in their sometimes-not-chosen professions.

Morgan visits his home state of West Virginia to take on the role of a coal miner for "30 Days" - a trade many in his hometown eventually took part in, while he went to New York to become a film maker. For the month he'll be working on the job, his new "boss" will not only be his direct supervisor, but also his landlord, as Morgan sets up virtual TV camp in a very colorful, pink girls bedroom to help "bring out his feminine side." His first day of work - folks - it's hell. It's some of the most unimaginable do-it-again for 8 hours straight with a 10 minute sandwich lunch that you can just barely imagine.

The closed captioning for the program is outstanding. I think that perhaps they got a hold of what was the production script before the actual audio was dubbed in though. In the captioning, his training consisted of a "40 training period" while his audio states that it took "80 hours" to get ready to go down below. Ahh, the comfort, of being hard of hearing. :) There is also something strange for FX - the elimination of the word "*****" in an area during the program where he states "covered in coal", is captioned as "as dirty as a pig in *****." Again, my experience with FX for the last several years is that they're very bold about being - bold. *****, crap, *****, goddamn it, hell, sonuvva***** and more - they're all commonplace on FX and I was surprised that they took something as straghtforward as "dirty as a pig in *****" as one of their "need to put that on the cutting room floor" moments from this episode.

Morgan's boss for this episode took the time every morning to write his wife a short note - one that Im sure all of us have written at one time or another, that told her how much he loved her and it struck Morgan enough that he began writing a postcard to his wife in New York everyday. That was something that struck me as I have developed over the years (mostly since 9-11) the habit of giving my girls a home a kiss before I leave. Do you do something like this every day? Let us know by using the contact form at 2GuysTalking.Com.

I had previously mentioned my disagreements with Morgan's politics, but I am very happy to announce that he straddles the line of common sense, reality, and reasonable thought as he addresses not only the coal miner's take on the environmental impact of "their job" but also the viewpoint of what are the people that are trying to save the vast and rich culture and environment that are the Aplallacian Mountains of West Virgina. Very well done, and adeptly captioned right in line. Something I do agree with him on, especially in what is the center of a nationwide gas escalation - we need to research alternative fuel sources , and we have simply not taken the time, effort or money to do it. Coal mining currently makes the "country go" and while everyone screams for them to stop doing it, no one can offer up an alternative - something that is also a problem in the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community as well.

One of my favorite movies, that is also wonderfully captioned (including the recent gold release - great stuff) is The Hunt for Red October. In it is one of my favorite quotes: "The Peace of Fishing". Now understand that I am not a fan of fishing in fact the last three fishing trips my Pop and I Have taken - well, we didn't catch a goddamn thing. :) BUT, the fact remains is that there's peace in the experience of fishing, and it's something that Morgan clued into while doing his wrap for this episode. The ability and opportunity to bond with the Earth while mining, the solace of "silence". The ability to be essentially one-on-one with a shovel working away for hours on end. That's something I know many people can associate with. As Morgan finished his "final lesson from his Mr. Miyagi of Coal Mining", there were several things that make me realize why I like watching this show, and why I totally recommend that you watch it as well.

My journey as an interpreter gave me just a smidgeon of magic that Morgan was able to experience during his 30 days in this vocation/situation, and it gives me and all potential viewers and incredible glimpse into something that is much more human than just the mechanized matter-of-course process that people think coal mining is..

"It's all about respect", Morgan Spurlock, exclaims.

It sure is. Morgan, and you are respected by this hard of hearing reviewer, friend.

Special/Supplemental Features Captioned: Yes! An outstanding additional note. Not only was every second of this and all of the commercials during this show captioned, they actually captioned (subtitled) several of the West Virginians that were a bit hard to understand because of additional noise while recording, or becaues of what is a sometimes-particularly deep drawl in that area of the southwestern United States. :)

Overall Caption Rating:: 5

Overall Show Rating: 5

Total Rating: 5

Do You Recommend This Show to Others Who Depend on Captioning? Yes

– Mike Wilkerson
Creator/Graphic Designer/Talk Show Host
- The 2GuysTalking Podcast
2GuysTalking Original Content Podcast Network
http://www.2guystalking.com
Mike@2guystalking.com – 314-229-7683

[Mike is a professional entertainment critic and talk show host for The 2GuysTalking Podcast Network, a multi-media podcasting company specializing in the broadcast of opinion, thought and ideas. Be sure to visit 2GuysTalking.Com for more information.]